Kelty Trail Dome 4 Tent

The Kelty Trail Dome 4 is a 4-man (backpacking) tent that is easy to assemble, lightweight and economical. It only weighs about 8 pounds, and one person can set it up in 10 minutes. Features include aluminum poles for strength, polyester rainfly with UV protection, factory-sealed seams (fly and floor), and a clip design for quick and easy set up.

I bought this tent primarily for solo car camping. I wanted something relatively light and compact. The Kelty Trail Dome met those needs. I got the 4-man model, and I'm glad I did. This is one of those tents that means it when it says 4-man. Four backpackers in this tent would be really cramped.

The Kelty Trail Dome is a rectangular tent that uses only two poles. It has clips sewn into the tent walls that attach the tent walls to the poles. I merely arranged the tent on the ground, set the poles into the corners of the tent, and stood inside the tent door while I lifted the tent and attached it to the poles with the clips. This was a snap. I always had tents, which had pole sleeves. I prefer the clip design, because it is quick and easy.

I set the tent up for the first time in my back yard. I had no problems, and it took about 10 minutes (including a ground cloth and rain fly). The first thing I noticed was the seam in the floor. I prefer a seamless floor, but at least this one is factory-sealed. Sitting inside I like that there are lots of noseeum screened windows for ventilation. There are large windows running the length of each side of the tent, windows with covers in the front door and back wall, and a large roof vent. There is a small stash pocket sewn into each corner and a sizable gear loft that hangs from the roof.

I like this tent. It will get a lot of use. I bought mine at Campmor on 3/5/06 for $149.97. I also bought the nylon footprint for an additional $34.96.